On the Six Harmony of the Earthly Branches

夫合者，和也，乃陰陽相和，其氣自合。子寅辰午申戌六者為陽，丑卯已未酉亥六者為陰，是以一陰一陽和而謂之合。子合丑，寅合亥，卻不子合亥，寅合丑，夫何故？造物中雖是陰陽為合，氣數中要占陽氣為尊，子為一陽，丑為二陰，一二成三數；寅為三陽，亥是六陰，三六成九數；卯為四陽，戌是五陰，四五得九數；辰為五陽，酉為四陰，五四得九數；巳為六陽，申為三陰，六三得九數；午為一陽，未為二陰，一二得三數。子丑午未各得三者，三生萬物，餘皆得九者，乃陽數極也。

The concept of "he" refers to harmony; yin and yang harmonize with each other, and their energies naturally unite. The six branches belonging to yang are Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu, while the six branches belonging to yin are Chou, Mao, Si, Wei, You, and Hai. One yin is paired with one yang, and when they harmonize, it is called "he." Zi combines with Chou, Yin combines with Hai, but Zi does not combine with Hai, and Yin does not combine with Chou. Why is this so? In the process of creation, although yin and yang are paired to form "he," the principle of the number of energies also requires yang to be superior. Zi is one yang, Chou is two yin; one plus two equals three. Yin is three yang, Hai is six yin; three plus six equals nine. Mao is four yang, Xu is five yin; four plus five equals nine. Chen is five yang, You is four yin; five plus four equals nine. Si is six yang, Shen is three yin; six plus three equals nine. Wu is one yang, Wei is two yin; one plus two equals three. Zi and Chou, as well as Wu and Wei, each total three, reflecting the idea that "three gives rise to all things." The other pairs total nine, which represents the extreme of yang numbers. Therefore, the pairings in the Six Harmonies are not arbitrary; they are determined by the addition of the positions of yin and yang in each pair, which must precisely result in either three or nine.

夫合有合祿、合馬、合貴之說。珞錄子云：是從無而立有，謂見不見之形也。從無立有，喻如甲生人以寅為祿，不見寅而見亥，謂之合祿；寅生人以申為馬，不見申而見巳，謂之合馬；甲戌庚人以丑未為貴，不見丑未而見子午，謂之合貴。經云：明合不如暗合，拱實不拱虛。此之謂也。《天元變化書》云：子合丑福輕，丑合子福盛；寅合亥福清，亥合寅福慢；戌合卯福虛，卯合戌福厚；辰合酉福弱，酉合辰大利；午合未福慢，未合午大利；已合申福慢，申合巳官氣盛。如甲午辛未只是身旺，卻命祿弱，如乙未壬午雖祿弱粗得。又曰：男子忌合絕，女人忌合貴。

The concept of Six Harmony includes explanations of harmonizing with wealth, harmonizing with the post-horse, and harmonizing with the nobleman. Luolu Zi says: this is creating something from nothing, referred to as "the form that is seen but not seen." Creating something from nothing, for example, a person born in the year of Jia takes Yin as his禄 (wealth position), but if his destiny does not show Yin but shows Hai, and Hai and Yin harmonize, this is called "harmonizing with禄 (wealth)." A person born in the year of Yin takes Shen as hisThe Post-horse (post-horse), but if his destiny does not show Shen but shows Si, and Si and Shen harmonize, this is called "harmonizing with驿马 (post-horse)." For the heavenly stems Jia, Wu, and Geng, the earthly branches Chou and Wei are considered noblemen, but if their destiny does not show Chou or Wei but shows Zi or Wu, and Zi harmonizes with Chou, Wu harmonizes with Wei, this is called "harmonizing with nobleman." Old texts say: open harmony is not as good as hidden harmony, and the harmonizing should be with a real position rather than a virtual one. This is exactly what is being discussed. The "Heavenly Transformation Book" says: when Zi harmonizes with Chou, the fortune is light; when Chou harmonizes with Zi, the fortune is abundant; when Yin harmonizes with Hai, the fortune is clear; when Hai harmonizes with Yin, the fortune comes slowly; when Xu harmonizes with Mao, the fortune is empty; when Mao harmonizes with Xu, the fortune is thick; when Chen harmonizes with You, the fortune is weak; when You harmonizes with Chen, the fortune is greatly beneficial; when Wu harmonizes with Wei, the fortune comes slowly; when Wei harmonizes with Wu, the fortune is greatly beneficial; when Si harmonizes with Shen, the fortune comes slowly; when Shen harmonizes with Si, the official fortune becomes prosperous. For example, Jia Wu and Xin Wei are paired, which only indicates a strong body but weak禄 (wealth) energy; another example is Yi Wei and Ren Wu, although the禄 (wealth) is weak, it is still roughly usable. There is another saying: men should avoid harmonizing with the absolute position, while women should avoid harmonizing with noblemen.

或以三合者，如人一身之運用也。精乃天之元，氣乃神之本，是以精為氣之母，神為氣之子，子母相生，精氣神全而不散之為合。蓋謂支屬人元，故以此論之。如申子辰，申乃子之母，辰乃子之子，申乃水生，子乃水旺。辰乃水氣，生即產，旺即成，庫即收，有生有成有收，萬物得始得終，乃自然之理，故申子辰為水局。若三字缺一則化不成局，不可以三合化局論。蓋天地間道理，兩則化，一陰一陽之謂也，三則化，三生萬物之謂也。已酉丑、寅午戌、亥卯未皆然。五行不言土者，四行皆賴土成局，萬物皆歸藏於土故也；若辰戌丑未全自作土局論。

The concept of Triple Harmony is used to compare the functioning of the human body. Essence is the original energy of Heaven, and Qi is the foundation of the spirit. Therefore, essence is the mother of Qi, and the spirit is the child of Qi. Mother and child nourish each other, and when essence, Qi, and spirit are all present without scattering, this is called harmony. Since the Earthly Branches belong to the "original energy of the person," this analogy is used. For example, Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water Triple Harmony: Shen is the mother of Zi, and Chen is the child of Zi. Shen is the place where water is born, Zi is where water is strong, and Chen is where water is stored. Birth means generation, strength means accomplishment, and storage means gathering. With birth, accomplishment, and gathering, all things have a beginning and an end, which is the natural law. Therefore, Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water group. If any one of the three is missing, the group cannot be formed, and the Triple Harmony cannot be used. The principle in the universe is that two elements can transform into each other, which is "Yin and Yang together are called the Dao." Three elements can also transform, which is "three generate all things." The three groups of Si, You, Chou; Yin, Wu, Xu; and Hai, Mao, Wei are all like this. The Five Phases do not separately mention the Earth group, because the other four elements depend on Earth to form a group, and all things ultimately return to Earth. If the four characters Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are all present, they can form an independent Earth group.

凡命有合，要得局為佳。假令丙丁生人見亥卯未印、已酉丑財為得局，見寅午戌火為本局，申子辰水為官局，辰戌丑未土為傷局。又如丙人見已酉丑，丁人見寅午戌為三位祿格，謂丙以已為祿，丁以午為祿，酉丑合已，寅戌合午故也。《珞錄子》云：“祿有三會”。《壺中子》云：“得一分三，折月中之仙桂”。此之謂也。餘仿此例。

In a person's destiny, when there is a combination, it must form a complete structure to be considered good. For example, if someone is born on a Jia or Bing day, and sees the combination of Hai, Mao, and Wei, which forms a Wood structure, it is considered an official position (印局). If someone is born on a Ding day and sees the combination of Si, You, and Chou, which forms a Metal structure, it is considered wealth (财局). If someone is born on a Yin day and sees the combination of Yin, Wu, and Xu, which forms a Fire structure, it is considered the self (本局). If someone is born on a Shen day and sees the combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen, which forms a Water structure, it is considered an official position (官局). If someone is born on a Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei day and sees the combination of these, which forms a Earth structure, it is considered a damaging official (伤官之局). Another example is when someone born on a Jia day sees the combination of Si, You, and Chou, or someone born on a Bing day sees the combination of Yin, Wu, and Xu, which is called the 'three禄格'. This is because Jia's禄 is at Si, and Bing's禄 is at Wu, while You and Chou combine with Si, and Yin and Xu combine with Wu. The Luolu Zi says, "L禄 has three combinations." The Hu Zhong Zi says, "Getting one leads to three, and one can pluck the heavenly orchid from the moon." This refers to the same concept. Other cases should be analyzed in the same way.

凡六合三合入命，主人形容姿美，神氣安定，好生惡死，心地平直，周旋方便，聰慧疏通。如相生合者，舉事多遂，更有福神來往，則福愈厚，一生平易，多藝多才，言和貌悅，不較是非，福禍扶持，人多見憐；如相剋合者，難事而易悅，多是定計，動多招損，更有凶煞相兼，橫事勾連，驚暴之災，不致深咎。

When the Six Harmony or Triple Harmony aspects are present in a person's destiny, their appearance and posture are beautiful, their spirit is calm and stable, they prefer life to death, their hearts are upright and straightforward, they are easy to get along with and convenient in dealing with others, and they are intelligent and capable. If the two harmonious elements are mutually generating, things tend to be accomplished easily, and if there are also benevolent deities accompanying them, their fortune becomes even deeper, their life is smooth, they are talented in many areas, their speech is pleasant, their face is approachable, they do not quarrel over right and wrong, and they are supported in both good and bad times, so people are more willing to pity them. If the two harmonious elements are mutually controlling, they are difficult to work with but easy to please, they often have their own ideas, and once they act, they may suffer losses. If there are alsoInauspicious Sha (malevolent influences) involved, they may encounter unexpected troubles, fear and sudden disasters, but they will not necessarily commit serious crimes.

死絕合者，主人有為未嘗遂意，威武不重，精神俗陋，招人鄙薄，志卑氣窄，愛小人惡君子，習下自賤，一生少得稱懷；與建祿合者，多橫財、意外名望之福；正印貴人合，得天恩貴人提攜之福；食神合，衣祿豐餘，飲食厚給；大耗合，無禮貌，言情行濁，厚於賤人，侮慢君子；咸池並，奸惡私通，不良貪汙之行；與官符並，多招形獄，詞訟旁牽，闇昧是非；天空並，動無成實，賤人欺詒。婦人大忌合中帶煞，咸池玷行淫聲，大耗必致淫奔，中有貴祿者，自賤而貴也。大率合吉神則吉，合凶神則凶。

When a person is in a dead or exhausted position, although they may have efforts, they seldom achieve their desires. Their demeanor is not solemn, their spirit is vulgar and shallow, and they attract contempt from others. Their ambition is low, their capacity is narrow, they favor petty people and despise gentlemen, their habits are degenerate, and they willingly accept low status. They rarely achieve what they desire in their whole life. If they are in harmony with 'Jian Lu' (Established Official), they often gain unexpected wealth and reputation. If they are in harmony with 'Zheng Yin' (Correct Seal) and 'Guiren' (Nobleman), they can receive the blessing of Heavenly Grace and the support of noble people. If they are in harmony with 'Shi Shen' (Food God), they have abundant clothing and food, and their meals are rich. If they are in harmony with 'Dahao' (Great Loss), they are rude, their speech and behavior are vulgar, they treat the lowly with kindness but look down upon gentlemen. If they are in harmony with 'Xianchi' (Xianchi), they engage in immoral and corrupt behavior. If they are in harmony with 'Guanfu' (Official Symbol), they often face legal troubles, lawsuits, and continuous disputes. If they are in harmony with 'Tiankong' (Heavenly Void), their actions lack results and they are deceived by lowly people. Women should especially avoid being in harmony with harmful stars. If they are in harmony with 'Xianchi', they damage their character and attract rumors of immorality. If they are in harmony with 'Dahao', they inevitably run away with someone else and lose their virtue. If there is also 'Guiren' (Nobleman) and 'Luqi' (Official Fortune) among them, they may rise from low status to prominence. In general, if they are in harmony with a good god, it brings good fortune; if they are in harmony with a bad god, it brings bad fortune.

將星者，如將札中軍也，故以三合中位謂之將星；化蓋者，喻如寶蓋，天有此星，其形如蓋，常覆乎大帝之座，故以三合底處得庫謂之華蓋。凡將星常欲吉星相扶，貴煞加臨乃為吉慶。

The "General Star" is like a general stationed in the central command, so the middle position in the Triple Harmony Formation is called the General Star. The "Huagai" is like the ornamental canopy on a king's carriage; there is a star in the sky that resembles a canopy, often covering the throne of the emperor. Therefore, the last position in the Triple Harmony Formation, which is the position where the energy enters, is called Huagai. Those with the General Star in their destiny always hope for auspicious stars to support it and for powerful, noble-tinged malevolent stars to be present above it, which would then be considered auspicious.

《理愚歌》云：將星若用亡神臨，為國棟樑臣。言吉助之為貴，更夾貴庫墓純粹而不雜者，出將入相之格也，帶華蓋、正印而不夾庫，兩府之格也；只帶庫墓而帶正印，員郎以上，既不帶墓又不帶正印，止有華蓋，常調之祿也；帶華印而正建驛馬，名曰節印，主旌節之貴；若歲干庫同庫為兩重福，主大貴。

The Liyu Ge says: If the General Star is accompanied by the Wangshen, then it indicates a minister capable of governing the country. This is considered auspicious only when helped by beneficial deities. If it is further combined with the Nobleman and the Repository and the overall situation is pure and not mixed, it forms the pattern of a general who later becomes a prime minister. If it carries the Huagai and the official seal but lacks the Repository, it forms the pattern of holding a position in one of the two major government offices. If it only carries the Repository and the official seal, it can attain an official position above that of a wealthy official. If it neither carries the Repository nor the official seal, but only the Huagai, then it is merely a common appointment with a regular salary. If it carries the Huagai and the official seal and is also in the position of the Post-horse, it is called "Jieyin," indicating a high-ranking official with a ceremonial staff. If the Repository in the current year's stem matches the Repository in the native's pillar, forming two layers, it is considered double good fortune, indicating great wealth and honor.

凡人命得華蓋，多主孤寡，總貴亦不免孤獨，作僧道藝術論。《理愚歌》云：華蓋雖吉亦有妨，或為孽子或孤孀。填房入贅多闕口，爐鉗頂笠拔緇黃。又云：華蓋星辰兄弟寡，天上孤高之宿也；生來若在時與胎，便是過房庶出者。

Anyone who has the Huagai star in their destiny tends to be lonely and have few friends. Even if they achieve high status, they are likely to feel isolated. Such people are usually categorized as monks, Taoists, or practitioners of arts and crafts. The "Song of Clarifying Foolishness" says: Although Huagai is a beneficial star, it also has its drawbacks. It may indicate being a child born out of wedlock or a person who becomes a widow. Those who remarry or become a son-in-law often face regrets, and eventually, they may end up wearing the furnace helmet and bamboo hat, becoming monks or Taoists. It also says: The Huagai star signifies few siblings and is a solitary star in the heavens. If it is born in the hour pillar or the fetal origin, it suggests being adopted or being a child born out of wedlock.

《淮南子》曰：“日出扶桑，入於咸池。”故五行沐浴之地，名咸池。是取日人之義，萬物闇昧之時。寅午戌卯、已酉丑午、申子辰酉、亥卯未子即長生第二位沐浴之宮是也。一名敗神，一名桃花煞，其神之奸邪淫鄙，如生旺則美容儀，耽酒色，疏財好歡，破散家業，唯務貪淫；如死絕，落魄不檢，言行狡詐，遊蕩賭博，忘恩失信，私濫姦淫，靡所不為；與元辰並，更臨生旺者，多得匪人為妻；與貴人建祿並，多因油鹽酒貨得生，或因婦人闇昧之財起家，平生有水厄、癆瘵之疾，累遭遺失闇昧之災。此人入命，有破無成，非為吉兆，婦人尤忌之。咸池非吉煞，日時與水命遇之尤凶。

The Huainanzi says, "The sun rises from Fusuang and sets into Xianchi." Therefore, the position of "Bathing" in the Five Phases is named Xianchi, using the meaning of sunset, which is the time when all things become dark and unclear. When Yin-Wu-Xu sees Mao, Si-You-Chou sees Wu, Shen-Zi-Chen sees You, and Hai-Mao-Wei sees Zi, these are the second position in the sequence of Longsheng. This position is also called "Bai Shen" and "Taohua Sha." This spirit is characterized by deceit and immorality. If it is in a favorable and strong position, the person will have an outstanding appearance, be addicted to wine and women, spend money on pleasures, and eventually ruin their family fortune, focusing solely on lust. If it is in a weak or dead position, the person will be destitute and dissolute, acting dishonestly, gambling, being ungrateful and untrustworthy, engaging in secret affairs and improper relationships, doing anything without restraint. When this star is combined with Yuanchen and in a favorable and strong position, the person is likely to marry a woman of bad character. When combined with the Nobleman and Jianlu, the person tends to make a living through selling oil, salt, wine, and other goods, or to start a business using money of dubious origin, and will suffer from drowning and consumption diseases, frequently encountering loss of property and misfortunes from unclear situations. This star in the destiny brings destruction without success, which is not a good omen, especially for women. Xianchi is not a favorable spirit; encountering it in the day pillar or hour pillar, or for those with water destiny, is particularly dangerous.

因晝夜陰陽之氣感而六合。因六合而生六害，因六害而忌晝夜陰陽之氣。六害者，十二支凌戰之辰也。子未相害者，謂未旺土，亥子旺水，名勢家相害。故子見未則為害。丑午相害者，謂午以旺火凌丑死金，名官鬼相害。故丑見午，而午更帶丑干之真鬼則為害尤甚。

Because yin and yang energies interact between day and night, there is the Six Harmony; because there is the Six Harmony, the Six Harm come into being; because there is the Six Harm, there is a taboo against the conflict between the yin and yang energies of day and night. The so-called "Six Harm" refers to those pairs among the twelve Earthly Branches that are mutually oppressive and warring. Zi (rat) and Wei (sheep) are harmful to each other, meaning that Wei is the strong earth, and Hai and Zi are the strong water, both being powerful families, called "powerful families causing harm," so Zi meets Wei and becomes harmful. Chou (ox) and Wu (horse) are harmful to each other, meaning that Wu, the strong fire, oppresses the dead metal in Chou, called "official ghost causing harm"; thus, Chou meets Wu and becomes harmful. If Wu is accompanied by the true ghost feared by the heavenly stem of Chou, the harm becomes even more severe.

寅巳相害者，謂名恃臨官擅能而進相害，若干神往來有鬼者尤甚，況刑在其中，尤不可不加減災福言之。卯辰相害者，謂卯以旺木凌辰死土，此以少凌長相害。故辰見卯，而卯更帶辰干真鬼則其害尤甚。

Yin and Si are mutually harmful, meaning each relies on the position of 'Officialdom' to display their abilities and compete aggressively, thus causing harm; if the heavenly stems also involve ghosts and evils, the harm becomes even greater, and since there is also a刑 between Yin and Si, it is even more necessary to consider the severity of misfortune and blessings when making a judgment. Mao and Chen are mutually harmful, meaning Mao, being a strong wood, oppresses Chen, which contains dead earth, this is like a young person oppressing an elder, so Chen is harmed by Mao; if Mao also carries the true ghost that Chen's heavenly stem fears, the harm becomes even more severe.

申亥相害者，謂名恃臨官，競嫉才能，爭進相害。故申見亥，亥見申均為害，更納音相剋者重。酉戌相害者，謂戌以死火害酉旺金，此嫉妒相害，故酉人見戌則凶，戌人見酉無災；若乙酉人得戊戌，乙為真金，戊為真火，為害尤甚。

Shen and Hai are in mutual harm, meaning each relies on their official position and envies the other's talent, competing to advance and thus causing harm; therefore, Shen meeting Hai or Hai meeting Shen is considered harmful. If the nayin sound elements of the two pillars also mutually control each other, the harm is even greater. You and Xu are in mutual harm, meaning Xu uses dead fire to harm the flourishing metal in You, out of jealousy; thus, a person born in You year meets Xu and suffers misfortune, while a person born in Xu year meets You and suffers no disaster. If someone born in Yiyou meets Wuxu, Yi is true metal and Wu is true fire, the harm is especially severe.

六，六親；害，損也。犯之主六親上有損克，故謂六害。子未直上穿心，與沖合恩未結而仇巳生，乃曰害。如子生人畏午沖，而未卻去合午；丑畏未沖，而午卻去合未；寅畏申沖，而巳合申；卯畏酉沖，而辰合酉；申畏寅沖，而亥合寅。酉畏卯沖，而戊合卯，所以皆為害也。

"The 'six' refers to the Six Relations, and 'harm' means damage; when it is violated, it causes damage to the Six Relations, so it is called 'Six Harm.' The relationship between 'zi' and 'wei' is such that they directly penetrate each other's centers, which is related to both the conflict and the harmony: affection has not yet formed, but enmity has already arisen, hence it is called 'harm.' For example, someone born in the year of 'zi' fears the year of 'wu' coming to conflict, but 'wei' happens to harmonize with 'wu'; 'chou' fears 'hai' coming to conflict, but 'wu' happens to harmonize with 'hai'; 'yin' fears 'shen' coming to conflict, but 'si' happens to harmonize with 'shen'; 'mao' fears 'you' coming to conflict, but 'chen' happens to harmonize with 'you'; 'shen' fears 'yin' coming to conflict, but 'ren' happens to harmonize with 'yin'; 'you' fears 'mao' coming to conflict, but 'xu' happens to harmonize with 'mao.' Therefore, these groups are all considered as 'harm.'"

凡人帶此，再見羊刃、劫煞、官府，為災尤甚。寅巳、亥申值生旺則主神潔貌俊，好爭奪，喜激作；值死絕則多謀少成，學人做事，兀兀趨進不厭。入貴格則有操守，善機權；入賤格則多詐、愛貧、鄙吝。卯辰、午丑如生旺，主好勝多怒，嚴毅不忍；死絕主毒害、傷慘、傾覆之事。入貴格則主大權，司刑典獄；入賤格則謀生於不義之地。子未生旺、死絕皆不利六親骨肉。入貴格多妻妾之累，入賤格孤獨無倚。戌酉如生旺，不容物，多剛戾；死絕酷狠，憎善妒能。入貴格羅怯無辜，結構入訟，頗多奸佞，入賤格殘害、陰狡、性佞、不良。

If a person's fate includes the Six Harmful Influences, and they also encounter Yangren, Jiesha, and officialdom, the misfortune becomes particularly severe. For the pairs of Yin and Si, and Hai and Shen, if they are in a state of birth and strength, the person appears mentally clear and handsome, enjoys competing and winning, and likes to act vigorously and intensely. If they are in a state of death and decay, they tend to plan a lot but achieve little, imitate others' actions, and push forward blindly without knowing when to stop. If they enter a noble destiny, they have integrity and are skilled in strategy and cunning; if they enter a humble destiny, they tend to be deceitful, content with poverty, and stingy. For the pairs of Mao and Chen, and Wu and Chou, if they are in a state of birth and strength, the person is ambitious and often angry, strict and resolute, unwilling to tolerate others. If they are in a state of death and decay, they are prone to poison, injury, and downfall. If they enter a noble destiny, they hold great power and oversee legal matters; if they enter a humble destiny, they live by unjust means. For the pair of Zi and Wei, regardless of whether they are in a state of birth and strength or death and decay, they are unfavorable to the Six Relations and family members: if they enter a noble destiny, they suffer from the burden of wives and concubines; if they enter a humble destiny, they are lonely and without support. For the pair of Xu and You, if they are in a state of birth and strength, they cannot tolerate others, and their nature is often stubborn and cruel. If they are in a state of death and decay, they are sinister and cruel, hate the good, and envy those who are capable. If they enter a noble destiny, they fabricate false accusations and create lawsuits, showing much cunning; if they enter a humble destiny, they harm others, are cunning and treacherous, and have a bad nature.

凡六害入命，大率主妨害孤獨，骨肉參商，財帛淡泊，女命尤忌；兼起命宮，看之落何宮，分逐宮詳斷，《珞祿子》云：六害之徒，命有七傷之事。歌訣曰：六害之人忌日時，老年殘疾苦何依；又逢羊刃神相蝕，不中鋒芒虎亦欺。可見命犯六害，大忌干支相傷，日時上最緊，身命宮次之，便是貴格，貴自貴，害自害，兩不相掩。

Whenever the six harmful influences enter a person's destiny, they generally indicate obstacles, loneliness, and discord among family members, with poverty in wealth, and women's destinies are especially unfavorable. One should also consider the position of the命宫 (destiny palace) together, determining which palace it falls into, and then analyze each palace in detail. The Luolu Zi says that those who suffer from the six harmful influences will experience seven kinds of damages in their lives. A rhyme states: those who have the six harmful influences are most dangerous if they fall on the day pillar or the hour pillar, leading to disabilities in old age and lack of support; if they also encounter Yangren (a harmful influence), even if they avoid direct conflict with weapons, they will still be bullied by fierce tigers. This shows that those with the six harmful influences should most avoid mutual harm between heavenly stems and earthly branches, with the most critical occurrence being on the day or hour pillars, followed by the body palace and destiny palace. Even if someone has a noble destiny, nobility and harm are separate; they do not cancel each other out.

《陰符經》曰：恩生於害，害生於恩；三刑生於二合，亦如六害生於六合之義。如申子辰三合加寅卯辰三位，則申刑寅，子刑卯，辰見辰自刑；寅午戌加巳午未，則寅巳，午見午自刑，戌刑未；巳酉丑加申酉戌，則巳刑申，酉見酉自刑，丑刑戌；亥卯未加亥子丑，則亥見亥自刑，卯刑子，未刑丑。合中生刑，猶人夫婦相合而反致刑傷。造化人事，共理一而巳矣。

The *Yin Fu Jing* says: Favor arises from harm, and harm arises from favor. The Three Punishments emerge from the Two Harmonies, just as the Six Harmful Relationships arise from the Six Harmonies. For example, if the Triple Harmony of Shen-Zi-Chen is combined with the positions of Yin-Mao-Chen, it results in Shen punishing Yin, Zi punishing Mao, and Chen self-punishing. If the Triple Harmony of Yin-Wu-Xu is combined with Si-Wu-Wei, it results in Yin punishing Si, Wu self-punishing, and Xu punishing Wei. If the Triple Harmony of Si-You-Chou is combined with Shen-You-Xu, it results in Si punishing Shen, You self-punishing, and Chou punishing Xu. If the Triple Harmony of Hai-Mao-Wei is combined with Hai-Zi-Chou, it results in Hai self-punishing, Mao punishing Zi, and Wei punishing Chou. Punishments arise from harmonies, just as a husband and wife, who are meant to be matched, may instead bring about injury. The workings of heaven and earth and the affairs of the human world are fundamentally the same.

或曰：三刑之法，以數起之。皇極中天，十為煞數，積數至十則悉空其數，天道惡盈滿則覆。故數自卯順至子，子逆至卯，極十數而為無禮之刑；寅逆至巳，巳逆至申，極十數而為無恩之刑；丑順至戌，戌順至未，極十數而為恃勢之刑。七則沖，十則刑，六則合，一理之自然也。

There is another explanation: the principle of the Three Punishments is derived from numerical calculation. The Supreme Pole resides in the center of the heavens, and ten is the number of calamity. When the number accumulates to ten, it must be completely reset, because the heavenly way detests fullness; when it is full, it will collapse. Therefore, counting from卯 in order to子, and from子 in reverse to卯, both reach ten, which is called "Punishment of Impropriety." Counting from寅 in reverse to巳, and from巳 in reverse to申, both reach ten, which is called "Punishment of Ingratitude." Counting from丑 in order to戌, and from戌 in order to未, both reach ten, which is called "Punishment of Overbearing Power." Reaching seven forms a conflict, reaching ten forms a punishment, and reaching six forms a harmony; all of these are natural results of the same principle.

寅巳申何以謂之無恩？蓋寅中有甲木刑巳中戊土，戊以癸水相合為要，則癸水者，甲木之母也；戊土既為癸水之夫，乃甲之父也，彼父而我刑之，恩斯忘矣。巳中之丙刑申中之庚，申中之庚刑寅中之甲，準此同義。又云：寅有生火刑巳上生金，巳上寄生之土刑申上長生之水，申中生水刑寅中生火。不恤所生，遙相剋制，故曰無恩。生旺主人持重少語，寡慾無情，多招失義忘恩之擾；死絕則面譽背毀，忘恩失義。入貴格則慘虐好殺，好立功業；入賤格則言行乖越，貪吝無厭。婦人得之，多產血損胎之災。

Why are the combinations of寅, 巳, and 申 called "Punishment of Ingratitude"? Because the 甲 wood in 寅 harms the 戊 earth in 巳, and 戊 earth is crucial for combining with 癸 water. 癸 water is the mother of 甲 wood. Since 戊 earth is the husband of 癸 water, it is also the father of 甲 wood. Therefore, the act of harming one's father is a complete disregard of filial piety and affection. Similarly, the 丙 fire in 巳 harms the 庚 metal in 申, and the 庚 metal in 申 harms the 甲 wood in 寅, following the same logic. Another explanation is that the fire generated in 寅 harms the metal in 巳, the earth in 巳 harms the water in 申, and the water in 申 harms the fire in 寅. This is a situation where one neglects the nurturing force that sustains oneself and instead harms those in a different position, hence the term "Punishment of Ingratitude." When this combination is in a strong and flourishing state, the person tends to be steady, quiet, and have a subdued desire, appearing almost emotionless, and often faces disputes involving betrayal and forgetfulness of gratitude. When it is in a state of decline or death, the person may praise someone in front and criticize them behind, showing a lack of gratitude and loyalty. If this combination is in a noble pattern, the person may be cruel and fond of killing, yet eager to achieve great feats. If it is in a humble pattern, the person may behave erratically, violate norms, be greedy and stingy without satisfaction. For women, this combination may lead to complications in childbirth, hemorrhage, or harm to the fetus.

丑戌未何以謂之恃勢？蓋丑中有旺水，丑乃水中之土，戌中有墓火，丑恃旺水刑戌中之墓火；戌為六甲之尊，未為六癸之，戌恃六甲之尊刑未六癸之卑；未有旺土，復恃勢刑丑中之旺水。又云：未恃丁火之勢以刑丑中之金，丑恃旺水之勢以刑戌中之火，戌恃辛金之勢以刑未中之木，故曰恃勢。生旺主人精神意氣雄豪，眉粗面闊，以直交人；死絕刑露瘦小，精神乖佼，是非賤佞，樂禍幸災。入貴格則公清平正，人多畏懼；入賤格則多犯刑書闇昧之災。婦人得之，妨害孤獨。

Why is the combination of Chou, Xu, and Wei called "Punishment of Overbearing Power"? Because Chou contains strong water, and Chou itself is earth within water. Meanwhile, Xu contains fire that has entered its tomb, and Chou uses its strong water to punish the buried fire in Xu. Xu is the most respected among the six Jia, while Wei is the humblest among the six Gui. Therefore, Xu uses its status as a Jia to punish Wei, which is a Gui. Wei contains strong earth and uses its power to punish the strong water in Chou. Another explanation says that Wei uses the power of Ding fire to punish the metal in Chou, Chou uses the power of strong water to punish the fire in Xu, and Xu uses the power of Xin metal to punish the wood in Wei. Hence, it is called "Punishment of Overbearing Power." When this combination is in a favorable and strong position, the person is spirited and bold, with thick eyebrows and a broad face, and is straightforward in dealing with others. When it is in a dead or exhausted state, the person appears thin and small, with a peculiar and mischievous spirit, often causing trouble, being lowly and sly, and taking pleasure in others' misfortunes. If it enters a noble pattern, the person is just and upright, fair and upright, and commands respect from others. If it enters a humble pattern, the person frequently breaks laws and suffers from hidden misfortunes. For women, this combination indicates harm to relatives and loneliness.

子卯何以謂之無禮？子屬水，卯屬木，水能生木，則子水為母，卯木為子，子母自相刑；又卯為日門，子為陽之所生，日出於卯，子卯角立，無欽卑之道，不恤所以相生，進相刑害，故曰無禮。又云：子中獨用癸水，癸用戊土為夫星而敗於卯，所以子刑卯；卯中獨用乙木，乙用庚金為夫星而死於子，所以卯刑子。此二家因夫見刑，女命見之，尤為不良，故曰無禮。生旺主人威肅，面無和氣，氣強性暴，太察不容；死絕則侮慢忽略，狹劣刻剝，少孝悌，害妻子，吳越六親。入貴格則多掌兵權，不利近侍；位居不久；入賤格則悖兇暴，多招刑禍。

Why is the combination of Zi and Mao called "Punishment of Impropriety"? Zi belongs to water and Mao belongs to wood. Water can generate wood, so Zi water is the mother and Mao wood is the child. However, between mother and child, there is actually mutual punishment and conflict. Moreover, Mao is the gate where the sun rises and sets, while Zi is the place where yang energy first emerges. The sun rises from Mao and Zi is the origin of yang, so they face each other from opposite sides without respect for hierarchy or propriety, disregarding their mutual generation and instead attacking each other. Hence, it is called "Punishment of Impropriety." Another explanation is that in Zi, only癸 water is used, and癸 water takes 戊 earth as its husband star, but 戊 earth is weakened in Mao, so Zi punishes Mao. In Mao, only乙 wood is used, and乙 wood takes 庚 metal as its husband star, but 庚 metal is dead in Zi, so Mao punishes Zi. Both explanations involve the husband being harmed, and this is particularly bad for women's fortunes. Hence, it is called "Punishment of Impropriety." When this combination is in a strong and flourishing state, the person is severe and cold, lacks a warm expression on their face, is fierce and easily angered, overly critical and unable to tolerate others. When it is in a dead or exhausted state, the person is disrespectful and careless, narrow-minded and mean, lacks filial piety and brotherly love, harms the wife, and treats the six relations as enemies like Wu and Yue. If it enters a noble pattern, it often holds military power, but it is not suitable for being a close attendant, and the position is not long-lasting. If it enters a humble pattern, it leads to rebelliousness and violence, and brings many punishments and misfortunes.

辰午酉亥何以謂之自刑？謂寅申巳亥有寅巳申互相刑，內有亥無刑；辰戌丑未有戌丑未互相刑，內有辰無刑；子午卯酉有子卯互相刑，內有午酉無刑。是以此四位謂之自刑。蓋無別物相加，乃曰自也。又云：辰者水之墓，滔則盈；午者火之旺，暴則焚；酉者金之位，剛則缺；亥者水之生，旺則朽。各稟已盛太過之氣而自致禍，故曰自也。生旺則沈靜內毒，形容劣弱；死絕則深毒輕忽，察見淵漁，多肢節手足之災。入貴格則機變權謀；入賤格則多憂頑愚，不情自害。帶諸凶煞，非令終也。婦人主淫蕩凶折之災。

The positions of Chen, Wu, You, and Hai are called "self-punishment" because in the group of Yin, Shi, Shen, and Hai, Yin, Shi, and Shen mutually punish each other, but Hai is not punished by anyone; in the group of Zi, Xu, Chou, and Wei, Xu, Chou, and Wei mutually punish each other, but Chen is not punished by anyone; in the group of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, only Zi and Mao mutually punish each other, but Wu and You are not punished by anyone. Therefore, these four positions are called "self-punishment" because they are not punished by anything else, hence the term "self." Another explanation says that Chen is the storage of water, and water overflowing will cause excess; Wu is the peak of fire, and fire being too fierce will cause destruction; You is the original position of metal, and metal being too strong will cause damage; Hai is the place of growth for water, and water being too strong will cause decay of wood. Each of them incurs misfortune due to their own excessive strength, hence the term "self-punishment." When encountering a position of birth and strength, they appear calm but conceal danger, with a weak appearance; when encountering a position of death and decline, they become poisonous and impulsive, with sharp insight that can see fish in the depths of the water, and often suffer from diseases in the joints and limbs. If they enter a noble pattern, they become skillful and cunning; if they enter a lowly pattern, they are often anxious, dull, and ignorant, lacking in human feelings and causing self-harm. If they are accompanied by variousInauspicious Sha (malevolent influences), they are likely to have an unfortunate end. For women, this indicates promiscuity and the danger of a short and violent death.

凡見刑不可便以凶論，須看五行中有無吉辰、旺相、官星、印綬、責神、德福等物，有此諸吉相扶相助，刑不為害，而反為用；如無諸吉相助，更帶亡劫、天中、羊刃等煞以惡濟惡，禍不可言。又云：三刑怕金。《鬼谷遺文》曰：“君子不刑定不發，若居仕路多騰達；小人到此必為災，不然也被官鞭撻。”沈芝云：“自刑帶煞不為良，年月刑膚定見傷。不是獄中憔悴死，便因刀劍刃頭亡。”又云：“帶辰午酉亥全，中年喪明。”又云：“自刑怕火，若中有制，未可便此以論。”

Whenever there is a刑 (punishment), one should not immediately judge it as凶 (evil) without further consideration. One must check whether there are any吉辰 (auspicious stars),prosperous and strong (prosperous and strong) energies,官星 (official star),印绶 (seal star),责神 (accountability deity),德神 (virtuous deity),福神 (blessing deity), or similar auspicious elements present in the Five Phases. If these auspicious deities come to support, the刑 will not become harmful, but can instead be used beneficially. However, if there are no such auspicious deities to assist, and instead there areInauspicious Sha (evil stars) such asWangshen (wandering spirit),Jiesha (calamity star),天中 (heavenly center), andYangren (sheath of the sword), then evil will assist evil, leading to severe misfortune. There is another saying: the Three Punishments are most dangerous when associated with metal. The "Ghost Valley Legacy" states: "A gentleman who does not have punishment in his destiny is often not successful; but if he is in officialdom, he may often rise to prominence. A commoner reaching this situation will certainly face calamity, or else be beaten by the authorities." Shen Zhi says: "Self-punishment combined with evil stars is not good. If the year or month pillars are punished, there will certainly be physical injuries. Either he will die in prison from despair, or be killed by a blade." It also says: "If all four self-punishing characters—辰 (Chen),午 (Wu),酉 (You), and亥 (Hai)—are present, there will be blindness in middle age." It also says: "Self-punishment fears fire; however, if there is another element to control it, this should not be taken as a fixed rule."

又曰：凡命三刑，全須分刑得入、刑不得入。以年為主，月日時為客，如主刑客，刑得入為貴，刑不入即賤；若客來刑主，須是刑不入方為貴格，刑得入者即賤，假令丑刑戌，看是何丑何戌，如乙丑刑庚戌，是同類相刑，不吉；刑丙戌壬戌則相生相刑，不以刑論；戊戌甲戌相剋相刑。戊戌刑得入，甲戌不得入；更看禍福所生之地如何。如戊戌，福聚之地，卻乙丑來刑則大吉。刑不入福聚之地，不為貴命。餘準此推。

There is another saying: whenever a person's fate involves the Three Punishments, one must distinguish whether the punishment is "entered" or "not entered." Taking the year pillar as the main, and the month, day, and hour pillars as the guests: if the main pillar goes to punish the guest pillar, then the punishment is considered "entered" and it is considered favorable, while if it is not "entered," it is considered unfavorable. If the guest pillar comes to punish the main pillar, then it is considered favorable only if the punishment is not "entered," and unfavorable if it is "entered." For example, when the丑 (Chou) pillar punishes the戌 (Xu) pillar, one must check which specific丑 and which specific戌 are involved. If it is乙丑 (Yichou) punishing庚戌 (Gengxu), it is a case of same type punishment, which is not favorable. If the punished is丙戌 (Bingxu) or壬戌 (Renxu), then it is a case of mutual generation with punishment, and it is not considered as punishment. If the punished is戊戌 (Wuxu) or甲戌 (Jiaxu), then it is a case of mutual control with punishment, among which戊戌 (Wuxu) is considered "entered" punishment, and甲戌 (Jiaxu) is considered "not entered" punishment. In addition, one must also consider the position where fortune and misfortune gather. For instance, ifWuxu (Wuxu) is a place where fortune gathers, andYichou (Yichou) comes to punish it, it is actually very favorable. If the punishment does not enter this place of fortune gathering, then it is not considered a noble fate. Other cases should be judged in the same way.

經云：凡命定其無刑，先論太歲。蓋言人惡見三刑，若月日時帶煞而太歲不干預者不論，故曰先論太歲。又云：以煞止煞，多掌兵刑之任。蓋言太歲受刑而別刑若乃制刑太歲者。假令癸巳生人得戊寅日，卻得庚申時之類。蓋癸巳為戊寅所制，得庚申木卻制戊寅之土。本有刑而卻無刑，故曰以煞制煞。古歌云：“三刑之位帶三奇，天乙兼得在日時。刑若等分干遇德，官居極品定無虧。”可見三刑要相等，更帶三奇、貴人、天德為吉。

Old texts say: When determining whether a person's fate involves punishment, one should first look at the year's ruler. This means that people most fear the three punishments. If the month, day, and hour pillars carry harmful influences but the year ruler is not involved, then there is no need to consider punishment. Therefore, one should first examine the year ruler. It also says: Those who can use harmful influences to stop other harmful influences often hold positions in military or legal fields. This refers to the year ruler already being punished, but another punishment comes to counteract that punishment. For example, someone born in the year of Guisi has a day pillar of Wuyin, and also a time pillar of Gengshen. Guisi is originally controlled by Wuyin, but now Gengshen controls Wuyin, thus the original punishment is as if it did not exist. This is called using a harmful influence to stop another harmful influence. An old song says: "If the three punishments are accompanied by the three marvels, and the Tianyi Nobleman is also present in the day or hour pillar, and if the punishments are balanced, and the heavenly virtue appears in the heavenly stems, then one will certainly hold an elite official position without any loss." This shows that the three punishments must be balanced, and when accompanied by the three marvels, nobleman, and heavenly virtue, it becomes auspicious.

地支取七位為沖，猶天干取七位為煞之義。如子午對沖，子至午七數，甲逢庚為煞，甲至庚七數。數中六則合，七則過，故相沖擊為煞也。相沖者，十二支戰擊之神，大概為凶。然有為福之甚者，乃沖處相生。如辛巳金見癸亥水之類，主聲望播流，高明出眾，科甲崢嶸；若沖處相剋，如壬申金見庚寅木之類，主人神情貌俊，襟韻脫俗，軒昂灑落，上視仰面而行；若生旺主人神剛貌肅膽氣壯，倜儻敢為多成敗；死絕則寒酸鄙薄，形容乖劣，動招凶辱，多夭折。

The seventh position in the Earthly Branches is called "Chong" (conflict), just as the seventh position in the Heavenly Stems is called "Sha" (malevolent). For example, Zi and Wu are directly opposite and in conflict, and counting from Zi to Wu is exactly seven positions. Similarly, Jia meets Geng at the seventh position, which is called "Sha." Counting to the sixth position results in "He" (union), but counting to the seventh goes beyond, so conflict and collision become malevolent. Conflict among the twelve Earthly Branches refers to their opposing positions, generally indicating misfortune. However, there are cases where conflict brings great fortune, specifically when the Nayin elements of the conflicting branches are mutually generating. For example, the metal of Xinsi meets the water of Guihai, which signifies widespread fame, outstanding ability, and remarkable achievements in exams and officialdom. If the conflicting branches are mutually controlling, such as the metal of Renshen meeting the wood of Gengyin, the person tends to have a bright and refined appearance, a noble and elegant demeanor, and an air of confidence and freedom. If the person is in a strong and flourishing state, they will have a strong spirit, a serious appearance, a bold and courageous nature, and be bold and adventurous, experiencing many ups and downs. If the person is in a weak or dying state, they will be poor and lowly, with an awkward appearance, and prone to misfortune and early death.

若戌丑辰未四庫所藏為十干財官、印綬等物，尤喜沖激；若寅申巳亥金，子午卯酉金，反成大格，不以沖擊論。若同類相沖，如甲子見甲午，己卯見己酉之類，主多破祖業，平生心不閒，剛明有斷，假令祿高名重，終有一失。

If the four branches 戌, 丑, 辰, 未 contain the wealth stars, official stars, and official seals of the ten heavenly stems, then it is most favorable to have a clash that stimulates them. However, for those with the four characters 寅, 申, 巳, 亥 all present or the four characters 子, 午, 卯, 酉 all present, it becomes a major pattern, and clashes should not be considered. If there is a clash of the same type, such as Jiazi meeting Jiawu or Jimao meeting Jiyou, it indicates frequent destruction of ancestral property, a restless mind throughout life, a strong and quick temperament, and decisive decision-making. Even if one has a high official position and great reputation, there will inevitably be one major failure.

凡遇一七煞，命吉則沖發，命凶則為禍。如禍聚之地有他位來沖，謂之破禍成福；如福聚之地他位來沖，則破福成禍；如犯空亡，有他位來沖，亦為破禍成福，年月日時值此，必作食祿之人。若月沖日時，時沖年，名仇，主與人無恩，多得憎嫌，或長病，或暴卒；帶劫煞、亡神相沖，主犯刑。若在死絕處，主病多疾。帶貴煞入局，有秀氣科名者，多入臺諫，終惡疾而死；帶元辰、空亡相沖，不下賤則貧寒。

Whenever the seventh煞 (Jiesha) is encountered, if the person's destiny is inherently auspicious, a clash will instead bring success and prosperity; if the person's destiny is inherently inauspicious, a clash will instead bring misfortune. For example, if a place where misfortune gathers is clashed by another place, it is called 'breaking misfortune into fortune'; if a place where fortune gathers is clashed by another place, it is called 'breaking fortune into misfortune'. If a person's destiny is afflicted by Kongwang (empty亡) and is clashed by another place, it is also considered 'breaking misfortune into fortune'. If this situation occurs in the year, month, day, or hour, the person is sure to have a steady income. If the month pillar clashes with the day and hour pillars, or the hour pillar clashes with the year pillar, this is called 'enmity', indicating a lack of kindness and respect from others, often leading to being disliked, prolonged illness, or sudden death. If the clash involves Jiesha and Wangshen, it indicates involvement in legal troubles; if it also falls in the dead or绝 position, it indicates chronic illness. If a person has a noble煞 and forms a good pattern, with refined气质 and achieves academic success, they are likely to hold positions in the advisory court, but ultimately suffer from severe illness. If the clash involves Yuanchen and Kongwang, the person is not of low status, but rather of a poor and humble fate.

沈芝云：“破印破財並破祿，破馬少曾為我福；更加破合日時沖，疾非手足即頭目。破印者，如木人帶癸未，內有乙丑金之類；破財者，如金人以寅卯為財、見申酉之類；破祿者，如甲祿在寅見申字之類；破馬者，如馬在巳見亥字之類；破合者，乃干合被支破，如甲午人見己亥，或見巳字，即破己亥，逢子破甲午合之類。詩云：相沖還是自相生，集來帝座位無刑；更得華蓋兼權煞，為官清顯統雄兵。”可見沖破有吉有凶，不可概論。

Shen Zhi said: "Breaking the seal, breaking wealth, along with breaking the official position, and breaking the post-horse rarely bring me good fortune; plus breaking the harmony and encountering conflict between the day and hour branches, the illness is either in the hands and feet or in the head and eyes.所谓 breaking the seal refers to, for example, a person with a wood destiny who carries Guiwei, and in Wei there is Jin of Yichou to break it;所谓 breaking wealth refers to, for example, a person with a metal destiny whose wealth is in寅 and卯, but sees申 and酉;所谓 breaking the official position refers to, for example, the official position of Jia is in寅, but sees申;所谓 breaking the post-horse refers to, for example, the post-horse is in巳, but sees亥;所谓 breaking the harmony refers to when the heavenly stems originally harmonize but are broken by the earth branches, for example, a person with Jiawu sees Jihai, Jia and己 originally harmonize, but seeing巳 breaks the Jihai, and seeing子 breaks the Jiawu harmony, this is the type. The poem says: if the conflicting sides still mutually generate, they gather at the imperial seat position without bringing punishment; if further accompanied by Huagai and power and calamity stars, then officials will be upright and prominent, capable of commanding a strong army." It is evident that conflict and breaking can be both auspicious and inauspicious, and cannot be judged as a whole.

祿，爵祿也，當得勢而享，乃謂之祿。自始分十干、十二支時，便以甲乙配同寅卯、居東；丙丁配同巳午，居南；庚辛配同申酉，居酉；壬癸配同亥子，居北。十干就支神為祿，謂祿隨旺行，所以甲祿寅，乙祿卯，庚祿申，辛祿酉，壬祿亥，癸祿子，丙祿已，丁祿午，戊寄已，已寄午，謂已午乃火旺之鄉，子隨母得祿之義。內有辰戍丑未，辰戌為魁罡，名曰邊鄙惡地，祿元不寄；丑未乃天乙貴人出入之門，祿元避之，所以四宮無祿。又曰四季有雜氣，為祿不專，故不取。

"Lux" refers to rank and salary, which can only be enjoyed after one has the right conditions and circumstances. Since the initial division of the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches, the stems were paired with the branches: Jia and Yi were paired with Yin and Mao, located in the East; Bing and Ding were paired with Si and Wu, located in the South; Geng and Xin were paired with Shen and You, located in the West; Ren and Gui were paired with Hai and Zi, located in the North. Each of the ten heavenly stems takes its Lux from the corresponding earthly branch. This is because Lux follows the direction of strength, so Jia's Lux is in Yin, Yi's Lux is in Mao, Geng's Lux is in Shen, Xin's Lux is in You, Ren's Lux is in Hai, Gui's Lux is in Zi, Bing's Lux is in Si, and Ding's Lux is in Wu. Wu's Lux is temporarily assigned to Si, and Ji's Lux is temporarily assigned to Wu, because Si and Wu are the strong points of fire, and this is based on the idea that children follow their mothers to receive Lux. Among the four branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei: Chen and Xu are called "Kui Gang," which are regarded as remote and desolate places, so the source of Lux does not reside there. Chou and Wei are the gateways for Tianyi Nobleman to enter and exit, so the source of Lux avoids them. Therefore, these four branches do not have Lux. There is another view that the months of the four seasons contain mixed energies, and thus Lux is not fixed, so they are not considered.

甲祿寅。如甲見丙寅，甲土克丙水為財，為福星祿；戊寅火土相生，為伏馬祿，俱吉。庚寅謂之破祿，半吉半凶。壬寅謂之正祿，帶截路空亡，必為僧道。甲寅謂之長生祿，大吉。乙祿卯。見乙卯謂之喜神旺祿，主吉。丁卯為截路空亡，主凶。己卯，進神祿；辛卯，破祿，又為交神，半吉半凶。癸卯帶太乙，死祿，雖貴終貧。

The discussion of the禄 (favorable position) for each heavenly stem involves assigning the禄 to different heavenly stems and examining the nayin sound element and accompanying deities and omens in the column to determine various names and their auspicious or inauspicious nature. The禄 of Jia (甲) is in Yin (寅). For example, if Jia meets Bingyin (丙寅), Jia's earth controls Bing's water to form wealth, which is called "Fuxing Lu" (福星禄), indicating good fortune. If Jia meets Wuyin (戊寅), fire and earth mutually generate, called "Fumǎ Lu" (伏马禄), also indicating good fortune. If Jia meets Gengyin (庚寅), it is called "Pò Lu" (破禄), half auspicious and half inauspicious. If Jia meets RENYIN (壬寅), it is called "Zhèng Lu" (正禄), but it carries the omen of cutting the road and kongwang, often leading to becoming a monk or a Taoist. If Jia meets Jiayin (甲寅), it is called "Chángshēng Lu" (长生禄), indicating great auspiciousness. The禄 of Yi (乙) is in Mao (卯). If Yi meets Yimao (乙卯), it is called "Xishen Wanglu" (喜神旺禄), indicating good fortune. If Yi meets Dingmao (丁卯), it carries the omen of cutting the road and kongwang, indicating bad fortune. If Yi meets Jimao (己卯), it is called "Jinshen Lu" (进神禄). If Yi meets Xinmao (辛卯), it is called "Pò Lu" (破禄), and also involves the omen of crossing the divine, indicating half auspicious and half inauspicious. If Yi meets Guimao (癸卯), it carries the omen of Taiyi, called "Sǐ Lu" (死禄), although it may bring prominence, it will ultimately result in poverty.

丙祿巳。見己巳，九天庫祿，主吉。辛巳，截路空亡。癸巳，伏貴神祿，半吉半凶。乙巳，旺馬祿。丁巳，庫祿，俱吉。丁祿午。見庚午，截路空亡，凶。壬午為德合祿，甲午為進神祿，俱凶。丙午為喜神祿，交羊刃，半吉。戊午，伏羊刃祿，多凶。

The禄 of Bing is in Si. Seeing Jisi (己巳) is "Nine Heavens' Treasure and禄", which is auspicious. Seeing Xinsi (辛巳) is截路空亡, which is inauspicious. Seeing Guisi (癸巳) is "Hidden Noble God禄", which is half auspicious and half inauspicious. Seeing Yisi (乙巳) is "Prosperous Horse禄". Seeing Dingsi (丁巳) is "Treasure and禄", which is auspicious. The禄 of Ding is in Wu. Seeing Gengwu (庚午) is截路空亡, which is inauspicious. Seeing Renwu (壬午) is "Debt Harmony禄". Seeing Jiawu (甲午) is "Advancing God禄", which is inauspicious. Seeing Bingwu (丙午) is "Joyful God禄", and it also meets Yangren (羊刃), which is half auspicious. Seeing Wuwu (戊午) is "Hidden Yangren禄", which is mostly inauspicious.

戊祿巳。見己巳，九天庫祿，壬吉。，截路空亡。癸巳，貴神祿，戊癸化合，有官位重。乙巳，驛馬同鄉祿。丁巳，旺庫祿，俱吉。己祿午。見庚午，截路空亡。壬午，死鬼祿，俱凶。甲午，進神合祿，顯達之象。丙午，喜神祿。戊午，伏神羊刃祿，凶。

The禄 of Wu is located in Si. Seeing Jisi is called 「Nine Heavens Treasure Store禄」, which indicates good fortune. The next sentence is missing some text, only 「截路空亡」 remains, and the corresponding column is lost. Seeing Guisi is called 「Luxury God禄」, Wu and Gui form a harmonious relationship, indicating an official position with great weight. Seeing Yisi is called 「Post-horse同乡禄」. Seeing Dingsi is called 「Prosperous Store禄」, all are favorable. The禄 of Ji is located in Wu. Seeing Gengwu is 「截路空亡」, seeing Renwu is 「Dead Ghost禄」, both are unfavorable. Seeing Jiawu is 「Advancing God合禄」, indicating a prosperous future. Seeing Bingwu is 「Happy God禄」. Seeing Wuwu is 「Hidden God and Yang刃禄」, which is unfavorable.

庚祿申。見壬申，為大敗祿。截路空亡祿，俱凶。丙申，大敗祿，多成敗。戊申，伏馬祿，多滯，若值福星，貴吉。庚申，長生祿，大吉。辛祿酉，見癸酉，伏神祿，水火相犯，凶。乙酉，破祿，成敗。丁酉，空亡貴神祿，丁木受氣，辛水沐浴，主姦淫事；值喜神，吉。己酉，進神祿。辛酉，正祿，俱吉。

The禄 of Geng is in Shen. Seeing Renshen indicates "Great Defeat禄", which is also a禄 in截路 andKongwang, both being凶. Seeing Bingshen is also "Great Defeat禄", leading to many successes and many failures in life. Seeing Wushen is "Hidden God禄", often encountering obstructions; if it also meets the auspicious star, it indicates wealth and good fortune. Seeing Gengshen is "Longevity禄", which is very auspicious. The禄 of Xin is in You. Seeing Guiyou is "Hidden God禄", with water and fire conflicting, which is凶. Seeing Yiyou is "Broken禄", with uncertain success or failure. Seeing Dingyou is "Kongwang and Auspicious God禄", where the wood of Ding is being nurtured and the water of Xin is in Bathing, indicating possible immoral behavior; if it meets the Joyful God, it is auspicious. Seeing Jiyou is "Advancing God禄". Seeing Xinyou is "Correct禄", all of which are auspicious.

壬祿亥，見丁亥，貴神合祿。乙亥，天德祿。己亥，旺祿；辛亥，同馬鄉祿，俱大吉。獨癸亥，大敗祿，貧薄。癸祿子，見甲子，進神祿，主登科進達。丙子，交羊刃祿，帶福星，貴有權。戊子，伏羊刃合貴祿，半吉。庚子，印祿，吉。壬子，正羊刃祿，凶。

The禄 of Ren is in Hai. Seeing Dinghai is called 「贵神合禄」, which is very auspicious. Seeing Yihai is called 「天德禄」, also very auspicious. Seeing Jihai is called 「旺禄」; seeing Xinhai is called 「同马乡禄」, all of which are highly favorable. Only seeing Guihai is called 「大败禄」, which indicates poverty and meager resources. The禄 of Gui is in Zi. Seeing Jiazi is called 「进神禄」, which signifies success in exams and promotion to prominence. Seeing Bingzi is called 「交羊刃禄」, accompanied by the Star of Good Fortune, indicating high status and authority. Seeing Wuzi is called 「伏羊刃合贵禄」, which is partially auspicious. Seeing Gengzi is called 「印禄」, which is favorable. Seeing Renzi is called 「正羊刃禄」, which is inauspicious.

有生成祿，甲乙人得甲寅、乙卯之類。有名位祿，甲人見丙寅之類。有真祿，甲人見丙或己，乙人見己或午之類，皆為貴格。有進退真祿，戊辰見丁巳、戊午見丁巳，丙辰見癸巳、丙午見癸巳，癸亥見甲子、癸丑見甲子，壬戌見癸亥、壬子見癸亥，進則平易，退則艱難，更帶福神，可作貴命，怕重見。

There is a type called "Sheng Cheng Lu" (generated禄), such as Jia and Yi getting Jia Yin and Yi Mao respectively. There is another called "Ming Wei Lu" (fame position禄), such as Jia getting Bing Yin. There is also "Zhen Lu" (true禄), such as Jia getting Bing or Ji, Yi getting Ji or Wu, which are considered noble patterns. There is another called "Jin Tui Zhen Lu" (advancing and retreating true禄), such as Wu Chen meeting Ding Si, Wu Wu meeting Ding Si, Bing Chen meeting Gui Si, Bing Wu meeting Gui Si, Gui Hai meeting Jia Zi, Gui Chou meeting Jia Zi, Ren Xu meeting Gui Hai, Ren Zi meeting Gui Hai; if the path is smooth when advancing, it is easy, but if retreating, it is difficult. If accompanied by a blessing deity, it can be considered a noble destiny, but one must beware of repetition.

有祿值會合，甲祿寅而得庚戌之類。有食神帶祿，壬食甲而得甲寅，癸食乙而得乙卯，戊食庚而得庚申，己食辛而得辛酉，主吉。有食神合祿，甲食丙得丙申、丙寅，乙食丁得丁未、丁卯，庚食壬得壬辰、壬子，辛食癸得癸巳、癸丑八位，俱主吉。

There is a type called "Luzhi Huihé," such as when Jia's禄 is in Yin and it meets Bingxu to form a combination. There is another type called "Shi Shen Dai Lu," such as when Ren takes Ji as its food god and has Jiayin, when Gui takes Yi as its food god and has Yimao, when Wu takes Geng as its food god and has Gengshen, and when Ji takes Xin as its food god and has Xinyou, all of which are favorable. There is another type called "Shi Shen He Lu," such as when Jia takes Bing as its food god and has Bingshen or Bingyin, when Yi takes Ding as its food god and has Dingwei or Dingmao, when Geng takes Ren as its food god and has Renchen or Renzi, and when Xin takes Gui as its food god and has Guisi or Guichou, all of these eight positions are favorable.

有祿頭財，為縟煞，甲人見戊寅，乙人見乙卯之類，主人富有聲望。有祿頭鬼，為赤口煞，甲人見庚寅，乙人見辛卯之類，主口舌刑責。有旬中祿，甲申見庚寅、戊午見丁巳之類，主清華要職。

There is a term called "Lutou Cai" also known as "Rushe," such as when Jia meets Wuyin or Yi meets Yimao, indicating wealth and reputation. There is another called "Lutou Gui" also known as "Chikou Sha," such as when Jia meets Gengyin or Yi meets Xinmao, indicating disputes and legal troubles. There is also "Xunzhong Lu," such as when Jiashen meets Gengyin or Wuwu meets Dingsi, indicating holding a prestigious and important position.

有天祿貴神，如丁人祿在午，遁至午上得丙字，而丙貴在酉亥，得辛酉、辛亥則辛貴，復見於午之類，入格極品。有干支合祿，如甲祿寅，得甲寅，己亥，乙祿卯，得乙卯、庚戌之類，主官職崇重。有互換貴祿，庚寅見甲申日時之類。有朝元祿，如寅人見甲日時之類，或朝於胎中，尤貴。

There is a type called "Heavenly禄 Nobleman God," for example, if someone has the stem 丁, their禄 is in 午. By moving through the sequence to the position of 午, they encounter the character 丙. The nobleman of 丙 is in 酉 and 亥. If they encounter Xinyou or Xinhai, then the nobleman of 辛 returns to 午. If such combinations are formed, they may attain the highest level of prestige. There is another type called "Stem-Branch Union with禄," for example, if someone has the stem 甲 with禄 in 寅 and they have Jiayin or Jihai, or if someone has the stem 乙 with禄 in 卯 and they have Yimao or Gengxu, this indicates a high and prominent official position. There is another type called "Mutual Exchange of Nobleman and禄," such as when Gengyin encounters Jiashen in the day or hour. There is another type called "Lords of the Beginning," for example, if someone born in 寅 year encounters 甲 day and 甲 hour. If the direction is towards the fetal origin, it is even more esteemed.

有朝元夾合，如癸巳見戊辰、戊午，兩戊與癸合夾巳，戊祿巳之類，主封爵。有祿入祿堂，《理愚歌》云：“祿入祿堂須大拜”，李虛中以甲人得甲戌，以甲為歲干，則甲之本位遁至戌，謂之祿堂。辛壬有二位，辛有辛卯、辛丑，壬有壬寅、壬子，五行無克，諸位相助，發福必大。

There is a type called "Chao Yuan Jia He," for example, whenGuisi is seen withWuchen andWuwu, two Wus are in conjunction with Gui and sandwich the Si in between, and the Wu's strength is also in Si. This type indicates receiving a noble title. Another type is called "Lu Ru Lu Tang." The "Li Yu Ge" says, "Lu Ru Lu Tang must lead to great promotion." Li Xuzhong took Jia as an example, taking Jia as the heavenly stem of the year, and pushing Jia's position through the method of遁 to the position of Xu, which is called Lu Tang. Xin and Ren each have two such positions: Xin has Xin Mao and Xin Chou, and Ren has Ren Yin and Ren Zi. As long as there is no conflict among the Five Phases and the positions support each other, the resulting fortune will certainly be great.

古人云：祿前二辰為背，祿後二辰為向。沈芝取建、向、近、合四字為貴，建不如向，近不如合，四字中得兩字者，為貴。如甲祿寅，以寅為建，丑為向，卯為近，亥為合，餘準此。餘皆一位忌三合六合上見刑見鬼，以甲戌言，鬼在丑上，則可畏，以丑刑戌；在未則不忌，以戌刑未。以乙酉言，鬼在巳上為害，以三合相會在辰則減福，以六合相親。

Ancient people said that the two zodiacal signs before the position of official rank are called "back," and the two zodiacal signs after the position of official rank are called "forward." Shen Zhi considered the words "Jian," "Xiang," "Jin," and "He" as auspicious, where "Jian" is less favorable than "Xiang," "Jin" is less favorable than "He." If any two of these four words are present, it is considered auspicious. For example, if Jia's official rank is in寅, then寅 is "Jian,"丑 is "Xiang,"卯 is "Jin," and亥 is "He," and the rest follow the same pattern. In addition, all positions are to avoid seeing punishments and ghosts in the Triple Harmony and Six Harmony positions. Taking Jia Xu as an example, if the ghost falls on丑, it is dangerous because丑 harms Xu; if it falls on未, there is no need to avoid it because Xu harms未. Taking Yi You as an example, if the ghost falls on巳, it becomes harmful because巳 and酉 are in Triple Harmony; if it falls on辰, it only reduces some fortune because辰 and酉 are in Six Harmony.

夫建祿者，主人肌厚氣實，體格不清，一生安逸足財，利生旺；自然死絕則氣濁神慢，孳孳為生，吝嗇猥鄙。與元辰並， 因樗蒲得財，復因此敗。與官符並，因官門得財，或多爭訟。與劫煞並，好賤技小商，不義橫財。與天中並，多遺失破財。與祿鬼倒食並，多因賒貸牙儈得財，至死不通，惟財是念之人。又曰：庫者，祿之聚，如甲乙在未，丙丁在戌，戊己壬癸在辰，庚辛在丑。如甲乙亥多而得未，乃祿厚豐足之人。合者，祿之橫，如甲祿寅而得亥，謂之明合；無寅得亥，謂之暗合，雖非見祿，亦曰見祿，多主儻來之福。

People born with "Jian Lu" (Established Wealth) in their destiny have thick muscles and abundant blood and qi, but their appearance is not refined. They live a comfortable life and do not lack money. It is especially good if the Lu Spirit is located in a thriving or flourishing place. However, if the Lu Spirit is located in a dead or exhausted place, their temperament becomes murky and their expression dull, and they spend their whole lives striving to make a living, being stingy and petty. When "Jian Lu" shares the column with "Yuanchen" (Primordial Star), they often gain money through gambling, but eventually lose their fortune due to gambling. When it shares the column with "Guanfu" (Official Symbol), they earn money through official channels or have many disputes. When it shares the column with "Jiesha" (Calamity Star), they often engage in lowly trades or small businesses, and their gains are unjust and sudden. When it shares the column with "Tianzhong" (Heavenly Center) and "Kongwang" (Empty Wasteland), they often lose property and suffer financial losses. When it shares the column with "Lu Gui" (Wealth Ghost) and "Dao Shi" (Reverse Eating), they mainly earn money through loans, credit, or acting as intermediaries, and they are stuck in financial difficulties all their lives, always preoccupied with money. The book also says: the four earth branches, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, are places where wealth qi gathers. For Jia and Yi (wood), their wealth repository is Wei; for Bing and Ding (fire), it is Xu; for Wu and Ji (earth) and Ren and Gui (water), it is Chen; for Geng and Xin (metal), it is Chou. For example, if a person with Jia or Yi as the day stem has many亥 water in the column and also has 未 earth, they are considered to have abundant and sufficient wealth. The combination of branches is another way for wealth to manifest: Jia's wealth is in寅, if the column has亥 to combine with寅, it is called "Ming He" (open combination); if there is no寅 but only亥, it is called "An He" (hidden combination). Although the actual wealth is not seen, it is still considered as seeing wealth, and often indicates unexpected good fortune.

拱者，祿之尊，如甲祿居寅，不見寅而見丑，卯在兩傍，謂之虛拱；如申人見寅又見丑，卯在兩傍拱之，謂之實拱，然拱實不若拱虛，主大富貴。凡人命帶祿，或吉或凶，或貴或賤，未可全靠便為吉論。《天乙妙旨》云：“君不見，祿馬貴人無準托，考究五行之惡，天元羸弱未為災，地氣堅牢足歡樂。”《源髓歌》云：“祿馬更有多般說，自衰自死兼敗絕，若無吉煞加助時，定知破祖多浮劣。”可見先論五行，後看祿馬，五行要生旺，祿馬怕衰絕。司馬季主云：祿多馬少，使主神勞；祿少馬多，能操善負。

Using two branches to enclose the禄 (favorable position) and suspend it in an empty position is the most esteemed form of禄: For Jia (甲), the禄 is in寅 (Yin), if the four pillars do not contain寅 but instead have丑 (Chou) and卯 (Mao) on both sides enclosing寅 in the middle, it is called "virtual enclosure"; if the person's birth year is申 (Shen) and the pillar contains寅, with丑 and卯 enclosing it on both sides, it is called "real enclosure." However, a real enclosure is actually less favorable than a virtual one. A virtual enclosure signifies great wealth and honor. For anyone whose destiny includes禄, whether it is auspicious or ominous, noble or humble, one cannot simply judge it as favorable based solely on this. The "Mystery of Tianyi" says: Have you not seen that禄, 马 (horse), and 贵人 (nobleman) themselves do not have a fixed standard to rely on; one must also examine the inherent qualities of the Five Phases. A weak heavenly stem does not necessarily bring disaster, but strong and solid earth branches are sufficient to enjoy happiness. The "Yuanmei Ge" says: There are many considerations regarding禄 and 马. If they themselves are in a state of decline, death, or failure, and there is no auspicious deity to support them, then they will certainly lead to the destruction of ancestral fortune and a superficial, inferior character. Therefore, when discussing destiny, one should first examine the strength and vitality of the Five Phases, and then consider禄 and 马. The "Sima Jizhu" says: Having many禄 but few 马 causes mental strain; having few禄 but many 马 indicates a person who is good at managing affairs and capable of bearing responsibilities.